dittoTV: Buddies beyond borders

The online platform has launched a campaign called '#TVBuddy' which highlights that viewers can watch TV shows with their loved ones, even if they are miles away from them.

dittoTV, an entertainment platform from Zee Digital Convergence Limited (a subsidiary of Zee Entertainment Enterprises - ZEEL), has come up with a campaign called '#TVBuddy' which highlights a typical Indian TV viewing habit. Even if we are separated by geographies, Indians always like to watch the same TV content together and, sometimes, even discuss and share it. Based on this insight, the term 'TV Buddy' was coined. The film, conceived by Scarecrow Communications and produced by Bosco Bhandarkar of Good Morning Films, goes on to tell us that these TV buddies could be one's mom, dad, relatives, childhood friend or just about anyone. While they could be living in any part of the world, they enjoy the benefit of watching the same TV content together.

The spectrum of services offered by dittoTV includes Live TV, videos and movies that can be enjoyed by anyone across the globe. The campaign depicts the various platforms across which content is available for viewership - tablets, LED TVs and Android phones, hence adding to the universal appeal for the services being offered.

To drive home the point, a montage film showcasing various characters as TV buddies like Amrita aunty in Mumbai and her daughter Preeti at a campus in New York, investment banker Rohan in Mumbai and his sister Ritu in Chennai, an architect Rohit in Ahmedabad and his traveller friend Ronnie in Pune - all are seen watching different content across genres. While some are clued into the TV series 'Jodha Akbar', others are seen watching 'Dance India Dance' or the movie 'Transformers', at the same time, no matter what the time zone is. In the storyline, it's subliminally established that dittoTV lets people watch the same content across time zones, through internet-connected devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops.

dittoTV is available on Google Play as an application and TV buddies have to just download the dittoTV app and install it on their connected smart devices. Then, they can just play and watch Live TV, anytime, anywhere. This is the underlying concept behind the application. Moreover, another feature like 'Catch Up' helps one to start from the very point that they left watching.

Talking about the campaign #TVBuddy, Manish Bhatt, founder-director, Scarecrow Communications, says, "Indians are like flamingos. They flock together, even virtually while watching TV. As this insight has a strong connect, we kept the film simple to demonstrate dittoTV's role in the lives of Indian viewers."

Arunava Sengupta, founder-director, Scarecrow Communications, adds, "In the category of these app-based products, because of individual consumption, the selling point always has been about offering a personal space. But dittoTV breaches the wall and talks about consuming the entertainment together, instead of being confined to their own personal space. This, we believe, has a potential to create disruption in the category."

Debashish Ghosh, CEO, Zee Digital Convergence Limited, says, "ZEEL has always been an innovator in the media industry over 22 years. Its content has always resonated with audiences and now we have taken it a notch higher with dittoTV. We believe that India is a country where we celebrate every occasion together; with #TVBuddy campaign we are aiming to lend TV viewing experience a personal touch where you can watch your favourite movie, TV show or a match with your TV buddy who may be miles away from you. The essence of Indian audiences who have evolved with just one TV set today, now have TV at the tip of their fingers!"